Feds seek mineral rights, cash

Man questioned in death named in fraud case

FARGO, N.D. — Federal prosecutors are seeking mineral rights and money from a North Dakota man questioned in an alleged murder-for-hire scheme in Washington state and jailed on illegal weapons charges.

James Henrikson is the center of an investigation that involves alleged fraud on the North Dakota oil patch, where …

FARGO, N.D. — Federal prosecutors are seeking mineral rights and money from a North Dakota man questioned in an alleged murder-for-hire scheme in Washington state and jailed on illegal weapons charges.

James Henrikson is the center of an investigation that involves alleged fraud on the North Dakota oil patch, where authorities say he did business with a man who was shot to death in his Spokane home. Investigators believe Doug Carlile was ordered killed in a dispute over oil country transactions.

Henrikson told police he was upset because Carlile owed him nearly $1.9 million, but denied involvement in his death. Police have both the alleged shooter and getaway driver in custody.

The civil complaint filed this week demands that Henrikson and his wife, Sarah Creveling, turn over two allotments of 320 acres each in the oil patch and $640,000 from an investment and loan. The government alleges mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

Court documents in the civil case do not list lawyers for Henrikson or Creveling, and no home listings could be found for either. Thomas Tuntland, who is representing Henrikson on charges of being a felon in possession of firearms, did not return a message seeking comment.

A 25-page affidavit cites unnamed witnesses who accuse Henrikson of lying to them and cheating them out of money. Authorities believe Henrikson provided false names and spellings of his actual name to investors to cloak his criminal background and previous allegations of business fraud.

The affidavit says Creveling testified last summer during a civil matter in Washington state that the business she and Henrikson operated consisted of trucking services to and from the oil patch. She said they did the bulk of their business with Maheshu Energy, a company owned by Three Affiliated Tribes Chairman Tex Hall. They also had contracts with XTO Energy, Petro Hunt, Kodiak Oil and Gas, and Continental, Creveling said.

The document said the search of Henrikson’s house yielded a contract and loan agreement that Henrikson and Creveling had with Carlile in an oil development firm. Henrikson and Creveling were to invest $1.2 million in Kingdom Dynamics, a company in which Carlile had 51 percent ownership. The agreement called for Henrikson and Creveling to be paid back within 90 days and receive a monthly salary and dividends.

Carlile was shot and killed in the kitchen of his home on Dec. 15.

Timothy Suckow, 50, is charged with first-degree murder, and Robby Wahrer, 33, is charged with second-degree murder in the Carlile case. Investigators allege that Suckow shot and killed Carlile in the kitchen of his home, and Wahrer drove the getaway van.